Saying goodbye to a pet fish in Richfield
Whether it was a prize koi or a goldfish from the school fair, you deserve a clear answer. Here's what fish aftercare looks like in Richfield, step by step.
- Pond and aquarium fish both covered
- Water cremation where it's offered
- Kind ways to explain it to children
Richfield, Minnesota
Koi, goldfish and tank fish: the Richfield picture
Richfield is a compact first-ring suburb in Hennepin County, tucked between south Minneapolis, the MSP airport and I-494. Most houses are modest postwar homes on small lots, with apartment buildings lining the main corridors such as Lyndale and Penn. Because it sits so centrally, just about every aftercare service in the metro can reach a Richfield address, which means comparing written quotes is easy and worth the extra phone call.
Summer highs climb to about 83F, and plenty of older Richfield houses rely on window units rather than central air. When a pet dies on a hot afternoon, the basement is usually your best cool spot; lay the body on a towel and add ice packs wrapped in cloth. January lows near 9F make a detached garage cold enough overnight, but keep the body covered and shut the door firmly.
Home burial is common in and around Richfield, especially where families have land. For a fish, it's quick and meaningful: plant a water iris, a hosta or a small shrub on top so the spot becomes part of the garden. The one thing to avoid is burying a fish that died of disease close to a pond or stream, where rain can carry anything left in the soil back into the water.
Richfield is home to about 36,593 people, the 27th-largest of the 67 Minnesota communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Minneapolis, about 7 miles (12 km) away, which is where some providers serving Richfield are based.
Families in Richfield often end up using a provider from Edina (3 miles), Bloomington (3 miles, a larger centre) and St. Louis Park (7 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
68.5%[1]
The NFDA projected Minnesota's cremation rate at 68.5% for 2024.
10 million[2]
About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish.
13%[3]
13% of UK households keep an indoor fish tank.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
We built the this numbers from UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026 and Embrace Pet Insurance, and both are worth a look if you want the detail.
Cremation in Minnesota: a little context
Cremation is now the majority choice for people in Minnesota, at about 68.5%[1], but burial traditions still run deep. You'll see both among fish keepers. A small garden grave with a stone is a perfectly good goodbye for a tank fish, and many families choose it. Cremation tends to come up for larger pond fish, or when you rent, have no garden or expect to move house.
That Minnesota rate is a human one, published by NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). We quote it for Richfield only as a pointer to how families here already think about cremation.
What the seasons mean for fish in Richfield
In January, when lows in Richfield average around 9°F, a fish that dies can wait in an unheated garage or shed inside a lidded tub, as long as it stays frozen solid. That helps if your kitchen freezer is small. Watch for mild spells, and for animals: a tub with clip-on catches keeps raccoons, foxes and the family cat out. Move it to a freezer indoors if a thaw is forecast.
Some Richfield families choose cremation in winter precisely because the ground is frozen, then scatter or bury the ashes in spring. For a larger koi, that gives you a small urn to keep through the cold months and a chance to plan something by the pond once the ice has gone. For a small fish, the freezer and a spring burial usually make more sense.
Fish cremation prices for Richfield families
In the US, almost every fish falls into the smallest weight band on a cremation price list. CareCredit's guide puts pets up to 30 lb at $45 to $75 for communal cremation and $100 to $175 for private[5]. That minimum exists because running the chamber costs much the same for a goldfish as for a small dog. Home collection, a decorative urn and a glass keepsake all add to the total, so ask any Richfield provider for a written figure.
The Minnesota price table breaks costs down by size; our services page explains what sits behind each line.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Local rules in Minnesota
If you rent, your lease matters more than any law. Most tenancy agreements don't mention pet burials, but a landlord or homeowners' association can still object to a grave in a shared garden. A planter on your own balcony or patio avoids the question, as does cremation. Pond fish in a rented garden raise one more point: ask before draining or filling in a pond when you move out. The notes below cover what Minnesota allows.
Minnesota keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Richfield.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Minnesota level first; our Minnesota rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Richfield or your HOA adds anything.
The first day after a fish dies
- Take a breath. Nothing has to happen in the next hour once your fish is out of the water.
- Wrap your fish in a damp paper towel or cloth, seal it and label it so no one in Richfield gets a shock at the freezer.
- Check on the survivors: aeration, filter, heater and a water test. If more than one fish looks unwell, call a vet who sees fish.
- Ask your vet or a local fish store to name crematories around Richfield that take fish.
- Choose private, communal or a burial, and ask for a written total before you agree.
- Drop your fish off in a cooler with ice packs, or arrange a pickup when a large koi is too heavy to lift and carry on your own.
- Plan a small goodbye, above all when children knew the fish: a picture they draw, a painted stone or something planted there.
Ways to mark the spot
Wood Lake Nature Center, a marsh and woodland preserve in the middle of Richfield, is a place many residents return to for quiet. It's not a location for scattering. On small city lots, families tend to keep ashes indoors, or pot a perennial on the patio with a biodegradable urn at its roots, something a renter can take along when they eventually move.
the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, Every option Richfield families choose between is on the services page, or see how other readers answered in our polls, go deeper with the guides or catch up on recent articles. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Rochester, Brooklyn Park, Bloomington and Duluth, and every city in Minnesota.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
How long had you kept the fish you lost, or your oldest fish now?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What would you choose for a fish you loved?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
When is the hardest time of year to arrange a burial in Richfield?
January, February, March, November and December: average lows are below freezing then, and frozen ground makes a home grave slow or impossible until it thaws. The other pressure point is July, when highs around 83°F mean a body needs cooling and collecting quickly.
Why does the Richfield page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 68.5%[1] of Minnesota residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Richfield?
Usually yes. Edina is about 3 miles away, Bloomington is about 3 miles away and St. Louis Park is about 7 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Where are the providers that serve Richfield actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Minneapolis, about 7 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Richfield and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
How long can I keep a dead fish in the freezer?
Sealed in a bag with the air pressed out and wrapped in a towel, a fish keeps for weeks or even months. That gives you time to find a provider or wait for a burial day. Label the bag clearly. If you want a vet to find out why your fish died, chill it in the fridge instead and call them quickly, because freezing damages the tissue.
Can a vet put my sick fish to sleep in Richfield?
Yes. A vet with fish experience can end its suffering by adding an anesthetic overdose to its water, and the fish simply falls asleep. Vets advise against home methods such as freezing a live fish or flushing it. Transport it in its own water with a lid on, and raise aftercare during the same appointment, so the vet can arrange cremation or hand the body back to you for burial.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Minnesota's cremation rate at 68.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] About 10 million US households keep freshwater fish. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 National Pet Owners Survey release, 2025.
- [3] 13% of UK households keep an indoor fish tank. UK Pet Food (formerly PFMA) Pet Population 2026, 2026.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] CareCredit's pet cremation guide lists US communal cremation at $45-$75 and private at $100-$175 for pets up to 30 lb. CareCredit (Synchrony) - How Much Does Pet Cremation Cost? (Sept 2023), 2023.
- [6] Private cremation cost per pound falls with size in the US: roughly $9.2/lb for a 15 lb pet, $4.2/lb at 60 lb and about $4.0/lb at 100 lb. Our estimate: band midpoint price / representative weight: 0-30 lb (midpoint $137.50 / 15 lb) = $9.17/lb; 51-70 lb ($250 / 60 lb) = $4.17/lb; over 90 lb ($400 / ~100 lb) = $4.00/lb. How we calculate.
Find a Richfield provider that accepts fish
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.